[Amended 12-16-2013]
The Animal Control Officer and any Deputy Animal Control Officers of Rockingham County, Virginia, are hereby appointed as such officers of the Town. The dog and rabies control ordinances of Rockingham County, Virginia, Chapter
4, Articles
II and III, Code of Laws, effective on January 1, 2000, including the penalties for violation thereof, are hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as the dog laws of the Town. All amendments to the dog and rabies control ordinances of Rockingham County, Virginia, Chapter
4, Articles
II and III, Codes of Laws, adopted after January 1, 2000, are hereby adopted, and all future amendments to this chapter of Rockingham County's Code will be automatically adopted as of the date that they become effective for Rockingham County.
The Animal Control Officer or Dog Warden of the county is designated
as a special police officer for the purpose of being authorized to
issue summonses for dog law violations within the Town.
The following conduct is declared a nuisance and is prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of a dog to:
A. Knowingly or willfully allow his dog to urinate or defecate on the
private property of other persons without their consent or that of
the authorized agent of the one having control of the premises.
B. Knowingly or willfully allow his dog to urinate or defecate on public property, provided that urination by a dog on curbs of streets and in alleys, streets or areas designated and posted as dog exercise areas shall not constitute a violation of this section, and provided further that defecation by a dog on public property out of doors shall not constitute a violation of this section if the owner of the dog immediately removes the material defecated and disposes of it in an appropriate trash receptacle. In addition to the officers identified in §§
53-9 and
53-10, any Town employee who is (1) specifically designated by the Town Manager, (2) wearing a uniform and (3) carrying identification may enforce the provisions of this section in accordance with the procedures set forth in §
53-13. As used in this subsection, "uniform" shall mean a shirt, jacket or coat on which is permanently displayed and visible the seal of the Town, together with the name of the employee's department, office or agency, and "identification" shall mean a card or badge issued by the Town to identify the employee by name and photograph, or badge number, and indicate that the employee is an authorized enforcement officer.